Sauerkraut in My Salad

A few weeks ago on Twitter, I took an informal poll: “Just put sauerkraut in my salad. Gross, weird or awesome?” And although the sample size was small, the answer was clear. Sauerkraut in salad is gross, weird and awesome. All at the same time. Which I have to agree with. It kind of doesn’t sound so good, it’s certainly not normal and—obviously since I’m doing a Healthy Obsession post on it—sauerkraut in salad is pretty mind-blowingly awesome. At least I (and a few others) think so.

What I’ve been doing as of late is taking my usual Big-Ass Salad and putting a taco salad twist on it. For my protein, I throw in some leftover Trader Joe’s All Natural Tri-Tip Asada or grilled chicken. For crunch, I add a handful of Beanitos Nacho Cheese White Bean Chips (full review of those coming soon!). For healthy fat, I toss in a few chunks of diced avocado and a drizzle of walnut oil (my favorite oil for salads and worthy of its own Healthy Obsession, in my opinion). And for my dressing? Well, that’s where the sauerkraut comes in. Although it’s not really a dressing, a big ol’ scoop of ‘kraut definitely acts as a vinegar. And when I also add some salsa (Trader Joe’s Habanero and Lime Salsa to be precise)? Well, it makes for a heck of a way to flavor your salad. Spicy, tomato-y, vinegary and with a definite cheesy taco crunch to it, I think it’s perfection. And my new favorite salad topping.

So tell me, have you tried sauerkraut in your salad? Will you give it a go? I may try kimchi in my salad next…. —Jenn